Pneumatic cut tobacco feeding apparatus



} 1970 TOKIO FUCHU ETAL 3,544,167

PNEUMATIC OUT TOBACCO FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 16, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 1, 1970 TOKIO FUCHU ETAL 3,544,167

PNEUMATIC OUT TOBACCO FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Dem-'16, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill-ill M I3'FI 'i 76 W 1 f lv Dec. 1, 1970 v TOKIO FUCHU ETAL 3,

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PNEUMATIC OUT TOBACCO FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 16, 1968 v 4 Sheets-Sheet &

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United States Patent Oflice 3,544,167 Patented Dec. 1, 1970 3,544,167 PNEUMATIC CUT TOBACCO FEEDING APPARATUS Tokio Fuchu, Hojichyo, Ko Kanamori, Tokyo, Takeyoshi Akiyama, Sendai, and Mataji Murakami, Osaka, Japan, assignors to The Japan Monopoly Corporation, Tokyo, ind Kabushiki Kaisha Murakami Seisakusho, Osaka,

apan

Filed Dec. 16, 1968, Ser. No. 783,904 Claims priority, application Japan, Dec. 2, 1967, 42/ 101,110 Int. Cl. B65g 53/04 US. Cl. 302-13 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pneumatic distribution system for distributing tobacco to cigarette-making machines comprises a conveyor band carrying tobacco and a plurality of collector conduits each having an open end above the band, a suction pump (or pumps) connected to the conduits to suck tobacco into the conduits, and dischargers between each conduit and the pump. The conduits can be moved away from the band when not in use, and the supply of tobacco is completely automatic.

This invention relates to a pneumatic distribution system for distributing tobacco to cigarette-making machines.

In conventional systems, tobacco is received on a loading conveyor band and passes to a levelling band, from which is falls into a collector bowl where it is divided between two outputs. Although it has been possible to split the fiow between up to four outputs, it is diflicult to split satisfactorily into a greater number than this since the material does not then divide equally amongst the outputs. Each output is normally connected sequentially to a number of cigarette-making machines.

There exists a need for apparatus which is capable of dividing the material on a conveyor band into a larger number of flows, and which is more flexible in the number of flows which it can provide.

According to the invention there is provided a pneumatic distribution system for distributing tobacco to cigarette-making machines, comprising a conveyor band, means for feeding tobacco onto the band, a plurality of collector conducts each having an open end above the band, pneumatic means connected to the collector conduits for sucking air into the open ends of the conduits, thereby to suck tobacco from the band into the conduits, and discharging means connected between each collector conduit and the pneumatic means for discharging tobacco to a corresponding making machine.

One system embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of one system embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified plan view of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the collector conduits of FIG. 1 above the conveyor band;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the collector conduits of FIG. 1 arranged above the band;

FIG. 5 is a front view of one collector conduit of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a part-sectional side view of the conduit of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view through the conduit of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a side view of one discharger and storage chamber of the system of FIG. 1 and its associated pneumatic tubes.

The system illustrated is constructed to distribute cut tobacco to a plurality of cigarette-making machines 1, in this case sixteen, from a single storage chamber 17.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the storage chamber 17 is constructed to feed material evenly onto a conveyor band 16. The storage chamber 17 may be of the type described in Japanese utility model application No. 101,109/67 filed on Dec. 2, 1967. Above the band 16 are sixteen collector conduits 8, arranged in four rows of four conduits, and each having an open end 11 positioned above the band. Each collector conduit is connected through a pneumatic tube 7 to a respective one of the cigarettemaking machines 1. On the top of each cigarette-making machine is a fixed-screen discharger 5, and the dischargers of each column of cigarette-making machines are connected to a single suction pump 9 through pipes 7.

The collector conduits are shown in more detail in FIGS. 3 to 7. Each of the conduits S are of generally square cross-section (see FIG. 7) and are surrounded by a protective holding tube 13. The lower parts 8' of each of the conduits are vertically movable (see FIG. 6) between two positions as shown in FIG. 3. In its lower position the open end 11 of the conduit is adjacent the surface of the cut tobacco on the band 16, and in its upper position the lower end of the conduit is withdrawn from the surface of the tobacco. The lower part 8' of the conduit is moved vertically by a pneumatic cylinder 15 which moves a rod 14 to which is fixed a bracket 14'. The bracket 14' passes through a slot 12 in the tube 13 and is fixed to the lower part 8' of the conduit.

The open end 11 of the lower part 8' of the conduit 8 is cut off obliquely, as can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 6, to assist in picking up tobacco from the moving band 16.

A recirculating system (not shown) is provided so that material which passes beyond the conduits 8 to the end of the conveyor is returned to the storage chamber 17.

From the collector conduits 8 the tobacco is conveyed through the tubes 7 to the fixed screen discharger 5, as shown for example in FIG. 8. The fixed screen dischargers each have a wire mesh screen 4, through which the tobacco cannot pass, dividing the discharger into an upper and lower part. The upper part is connected through a valve 10 and a pipe 7' to the suction pump 9, and the tube 7 terminates in the lower part. Tobacco collects on the underside of the screen 4 and falls into an airlock outlet 3 operated for example by a timer and hence into a storage chamber 2 in the top of the cigarette-making machine. A fixed screen discharger of the type described in British patent specification No. 920,884 is suitable for use as the discharger 5.

The level of tobacco in the storage chamber 2 is controlled automatically. A photo-electric cell 6 illuminated by a light source 6' senses when more tobacco is required in the chamber and applies an electrical signal over a line 20 to a control unit 21. The control unit then operates solenoids which in turn operate the valve 10 and the pneumatic cylinder 15, thereby opening the valve 10 and lowering the lower part 8 of the corresponding conduit 8. When the discharger 5 has supplied sufficient tobacco to the chamber 2, the beam of light to the photocell 6 is interrupted. The control unit 21 then closes the valve 10 and raises the lower part 8' of the conduit 8.

Although the valve 10 and the lower part 8' of the conduit illustrated are pneumatically operated, it will be appreciated that other methods of operation may be used.

Means may be included to ensure that in any row of collector conduits parallel to the direction of movement of the band, only one conduit can be operative at any time. For example, the control unit.,20 may contain or be controlled by a timer, so that only one row of conduits can be connected to the suction pumps at a time.

It can be seen that using the system illustrated the number of pipes operating and the length of time for which they are operating is extremely flexible. Also the number of pipes required is small compared with known systems, and yet the filling of the storage chambers on the individual cigarette-making machines is carried out entirely automatically.

We claim:

1. A pneumatic distribution system for distributing tobacco to cigarette-making machines, said system comprising:

a conveyor band;

means for feeding tobacco onto said band;

a plurality of collector conduits each having an open end above said band;

pneumatic means connected to said collector conduits for sucking air and tobacco into said open ends; and discharging means connected between each of said collector conduits and said pneumatic means.

2. -A system according to claim 1, wherein each of said discharging means comprises a fixed screen discharger.

3. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a valve positioned between each of said collector conduits and said pneumatic means for controlling the flow of tobacco to the corresponding discharging means.

4. A system according to claim 3 further comprising means for moving the open end of each of said collector conduits away from said conveyor band when the corresponding valve is closed. 7

5. A system according to claim 3, having a storage 4 chamber connected to the output of each of said discharging means, and means for sensing the amount of material in said chamber and operating said valve in response thereto. I

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the said sensing means comprises a photo-electric cell.

7. A system according to claim 5, including means for moving said open end of each collector conduit away from said conveyor band in response to closure of said valve.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the open end of each collector conduit is slanted with respect to the band to assist in the pickup of material from the band, the edge of the open end first reached by the tobacco on the band being further from the band than the edge last reached by the tobacco.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein two or more 7 of the collector conduits are connected to a single suction source for sucking air into the open ends thereof.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the collectorconduits are arranged in plurality of rows across the band, and one conduit of each of said rows is connected to a single suction source.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ANDRES'H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

